16

Chapter 16: Ch16 Fraying FreysNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 16 Fraying Freys

Patrek Mallister

A ten day of watching this new Edmure was fraying his nerves. They'd been traveling around the lands of Riverrun when the change had come. One moment Edmure had been the same smiling self-assured man and friend that he'd known for so many years and then suddenly...the cold and bitter mask had appeared.

That first day, had started out the same as the last week...except Edmure's eyes had suddenly gotten harder. He'd greeted him that morning as if they hadn't seen each other in a very long time. Edmure had been positively beaming, but that hadn't even lasted until they'd finished breaking their fast.

Whispers and talk of impossible things had hounded them as they ate, and he'd watched as Edmure had lost he mask, and his smile. In the span of a single night suddenly the people in the inn were much more tense. He heard several strange whispers, whispers of some sort of unrest, maybe even a small battle....though that was probably only bandits, the smallfolk were always exaggerating these things. As they listened Edmure's disquiet had steadily increased, his eyes wary before, now they were hard and flinty.

Then someone mentioned Cat being murdered....

Patrek's veins turned to ice after hearing that, but Edmure hadn't reacted then and it had taken every ounce of control Patrek had not to jump up and demand answers of whoever was spreading such outlandish lies. He'd expected Edmure to take the speaker to task, but instead he'd turned around and asked about Jon Arryn instead.

Now, these answers had startled Edmure.

Edmure urged him to finish breaking their fast quickly and before he'd realised it there were back on the road, heading to Riverrun at a near reckless pace; they practically ran their horses to death.

Then Edmure had commanded- not asked, commanded, his friend to remain in Riverrun as he conferred with Lord Hoster. Bewildered, he'd obeyed, he'd tried to rest but it seemed that Riverrun was on edge more than the inn had been. The whispers here more, and much more outrageous and bizarre. He'd asked and questioned all those that spoke, servants and Knights, but they'd all been wary of him. Instead of answering, they'd all asked him the same question...do you remember?

Remember what? That was was always his reply...after that they were usually very tight lipped and said he should ask Lord Edmure. So he'd had nothing to do but wait and see what happened next, none had been forthcoming with him.

He'd sat, he'd waited, he'd walked around the gardens of Riverrun, he'd tried to flirt with the prettier maids but even they'd been too busy and distracted to pay attention. It was all very maddening.

Though the real madness came when he heard he heard someone mention pledging loyalty to the dragons...

He'd started, unable to believe his own ears. The dragons? Who would pledge to them after what the Mad King did to the Starks? After what Rhaegar did to Lady Lyanna?

He'd gone and tried to to find these mad conspirators, and then went to Edmure and Lord Hoster when he couldn't capture these traitors. He'd barged in on them, claiming he'd found traitors in their midst, explaining the situation to his liege Lord and Edmure and begging pardon for the sudden urgent intrusion.

Instead of outrage and horror, with demands for and calls for the heads of these men, grim determination and cold fury had met him. This was when Edmure explained that House Tully and the Riverlands were pledging allegiance to the House Targaryen.

Whatever he'd felt before paled in comparison to what was going though him at that moment. He'd stared at Edmure and his liege Lord, their treasonous words were beyond anything that he could have rationally expected. They then explained why...and that was a whole different height of madness.

Magic and monsters. The Long Night come again and the plan to unravel what was once history, to save all of Westeros and beyond...and to do that they had to pledge to House Targaryen?! To Jon Targaryen?! Who is the name of the Seven was Jon Targaryen?!

That answer was yet another revelation that had him reeling.

Lyanna Stark's son. Lyanna Stark's legitimate, trueborn son by Rhaegar Targaryen....also known as Jon Snow. Hidden by the honorable Lord Eddard Stark from his dearest friend for more than fifteen years...

That had truly shaken him, that Lord Stark could keep such a deadly secret from the man who according to all the stories was like a brother to him.

Lord Hoster and Edmure spoke of many things, and nearly all were just as shocking.

The Long Night came and Westeros lost.

The return of House Targaryen and their dragons.

The War of the Five Kings and the Red Wedding.

The truth about Cersei and the Kingslayer...though apparently the Kingslayer was on their side now despite everything...somehow...

It all boggled the mind and he'd been silent for such a long time, that Lord Hoster and Edmure had returned to their planing session, and had nearly finished by the time he'd found his voice again. Things had progressed from there, ravens sent out summoning Banners, other sent with orders to strengthen the borders with the Westerlands, the Reach and the Crownlands.

However the plan had changed, the Tullys and the Riverlands would not be caught unprepared.

First and foremost, the Freys had to be dealt 'with', which is how Patrek found himself at the head of an army with Edmure heading for the Twins, a day later. With Lord Hoster's parting command for heads on spikes, while his eyes were filled with sparkling and unflinching cold fury.

More and more men joined as they marched. All the time, he'd continued to watch this new Edmure, at times the old Edmure would shine through, a jape here a comment there, but those were rare occasions. This Edmure was hard and bitter most of the time...though he hadn't quite reached the same heights as Stannis Baratheon, but for Patrek it was hard not to be startled by the resemblance.

Four days of dealing with the new Edmure...a nerve racking, very long four days, there were joined by Lords Jonos Bracken AND Tytos Blackwood. Their numbers swelled that day and Patrek braced himself, preparing to deal with the touchy and prickly pride of both those constantly feuding lords.

What he hadn't expected, that added a new layer to the surreality of everything, was the sudden, complete and utter lack of animosity between both the lords and their men. Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood were agreeing on everything in amicable fashion., even completing each others' sentences at times. He'd thought that their feud would last until the end of the world...which, considering the fact that a second Long Night was coming, it was the end of the world.

He did not take solace in the irony of that thought...

Finally, as they neared the Twins, Mallister men appeared. He'd expected them to help him maintain some semblance of control, to rely on the familiarity of the men he knew his father would send. He'd recognized them all and knew them and they'd all been happy to see him but...each and every one of them was grim faced and restrained anger was in their every glance as the looked towards the Twins. There was no solace to be found in the reassuring presence of men he had known for most of his life, just more of the disturbing transformations.

Then the siege of the Twins began. They were camped outside of the Twins with an army. Laying siege to the castle on their side of the river, while Northern and Vale Banners were camped on the other side laying siege to the other castle. He could see Reed banners and Manderly banners, but there were no Stark banners there.

It was a strange siege, a confusing one. They were in a strange situation. They were here to punish men for something they'd done...that had been undone. It was a horrific thing that the Freys did but this was something that didn't sit well with Patrek's honor. A man should only be punished for something they'd done...true the Freys had done it...and yet they hadn't now. It was all beyond confusing. He'd tried to raise the issue with Edmure once, and the coldness of the stare that had met his words had chilled his soul. Again, this drove home that this Edmure was not the cheerful man he'd known and grown up with. The truth was Edmure was changed...and it scared him a little...perhaps more than a little Patrek fearfully admitted silently to himself.

And so here they were on the second day of the siege waiting for the order to attack or for the Freys to do something.

The Freys had been quiet and content to wait behind their walls. Men patrolled those walls but other than that no other action had yet to be taken by the Freys.

Walking the lines and among the men, the siege ongoing, Edmure, Patrek, Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood surveyed and encouraged the men. All preparations for the final decision on how to lay waste to House Frey and the Twins.

At least that was the case until moments ago, ponderously the gates to the Twins had opened and five riders had left. The gate had quickly closed after them as the riders rode swiftly towards the siege lines.

Lords Bracken and Blackwood were flanking Edmure, and Patrek was by his side. As the riders began to near, Patrek saw one of the holding up a white parley flag. Of the five riders four appeared to be young men, and the fifth was an old man with well known facial characteristics of House Frey, weak chin and all. All seemed to be unarmored and he could see no swords at their belts.

"Archers!" called out Edmure gruffly. "Aim!" he pointed out at the parley group.

Patrek's head jerked away from the oncoming Freys, towards Edmure, "What?!"

Edmure gave him a dismissive look before turning back towards the oncoming Freys as the call for archers echoed and men scrambled to assemble. Lords Blackwood and Bracken had wolfish smiles on their faces and their eyes hungered for blood.

Patrek stared for a moment between Edmure and the Freys before launching himself towards Edmure. He grabbed his friend's shoulder and turned him roughly away from the coming riders and towards him.

Edmure glared at Patrek but didn't speak.

"That is a flag of parley!" Patrek shouted in a near panic, "You cannot attack them!"

Edmure sneered, "They are Freys. They broke parley once, I will not give them the chance to do it a second time!" he spat angrily.

Frantic, Patrek mentally grasped for something to say. He looked about for support but found none from the two Lords with them. A part of him silently despaired, he seemed to be the only man here that hadn't completely all sense of honor. "What of honor? Where is the honor in attacking when they come under a flag of parley?!"

"Honor?!" Edmure spat back venomously, "The Freys have no honor!"

"But we do!" Patrek roared back, cold sweat running down his back, "They are surrounded, at our mercy...what can five riders do that our army cannot match?"

Edmure ground his teeth and glared for a moment before turning away.

"Family, Duty, Honor...those are the words of House Tully," Patrek quoted at Edmure, pressing the point.

Edmure turned back to him and after a long moment he spoke. "Hold! Be wary...but let them come."

With that Edmure actually stepped out from behind the siege lines, he pointed towards one the men holding a Tully banner and gestured him forward. The man came running and after a few words was waving the banner vigorously at the oncoming riders. After a moment the riders veered towards them.

Patrek let out a shuddering breath he hadn't realised he'd been keeping as his momentary panic subsided.

Edmure stood there with the man with him waving the Tully banner briskly in the air.

The riders were finally close enough for Patrek to recognize the leader, Ser Stevron Frey, the heir of the Twins...despite the fact that he was old enough to be both Edmure and Patrek's father. The riders stopped a respectful distance away from Edmure. Ser Stevron unmounted his horse and paced his reins to the nearest of his men.

Ser Stevron Frey stood shaking in fear, a wild and terrified look in his eyes as he approached Edmure. His face was pale and sweat was dripping down his brow. He gazed at him and the two Lords, who returned hate filled glares.

After another fearful moment, Stevron spoke, "My father is dead." His voice quivered and shook just as he did.

Edmure stared for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. Bracken and Blackwood joined him. Stevron flinched at the loud laughter as Patrek started at them, at their callous behavior but remained silent for now.

The laughter subsided and Edmure's steely gaze turned back to Stevron.

"What happened?" Edmure asked finally gruffly.

"He was ranting and raving, half mad, screaming about pies before two of my brothers killed him." Stevron admitted shamefully.

Patrek gaped in shock, Kinslaying? And...pies? Even with all that he'd heard about the Red Wedding and the betrayal, Kinslaying had been one line the Frey's hadn't crossed...and what about pies?

"...They claimed that he poisoned them..." he paused, "that he poisoned all his sons and grandsons...." Stevron shivered with fear, he shook his head, "but...one of the servants said...." he stopped almost afraid to continue as he cast about furtive glances all around them.

Edmure smirked, "They were wrong, he didn't kill them it was a Faceless man."

One wouldn't think that Stevron's face could have become any paler, but it did, he swallowed slowly, his eyes wide with fear, "A....Faceless man? It truly was a Faceless man?"

Edmure was suddenly smirking now, "In actuality...a faceless woman." Edmure paused and then gave Stevron a cruel and wolfish smile, "Specifically, my dear niece Arya Stark. She took your father's face and murdered all your siblings in the same hall they murdered Robb and my sister!" he finished with a low chuckle.

Patrek reeled, he couldn't have heard that right...Arya...Stark?! Edmure's youngest niece? She couldn't be a Faceless man! If she was a Faceless man...does that mean that House Stark actually has an unstoppable assassin at their beck and call?

"Winter came for House Frey," Edmure stated with a smile on his face, "...and it has come again." His smile transformed into a death rictus.

Whatever composure Stevron had left finally fled him, "My Lord! I had no part in my father's betrayal! I was loyal! I died for our King! I died for Robb Stark!" quivering he turned and pointed back at the riders accompanying him, "Each and every one of these men did the same! We died for our King! And we are not the only ones! We are loyal sons of House Frey! We have always been loyal to House Tully!" He stepped towards Edmure and threw himself hard onto his knees, "We took no part of the Red Wedding! Mercy, Lord Edmure! I beg of you!"

Patrek stared between the kneeling old man and Edmure. Edmure's face was staring down at Stevron, emotions playing over his face...and Patrek had no idea what this new Edmure would do. That more than anything scared Patrek.

Finally, Edmure spoke, his eyes dark and demanding, "Bring me Black Walder and Lothar...then, and only then...will I offer you bread and salt," he commanded coldly.

There was relief in Stevron's eyes as he nodded readily and rose quickly for a man his age, he mounted his horse and rode back to the Twins as fast as he could.

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They met in the same spot, less than an hour later, Stevron returned with the same men and two bound and gagged men, being dragged along. Patrek recognized Black Walder immediately. The nasty and snide Knight was well known and despised in the Riverlands, and Patrek had been unfortunate enough to have dealt with him several times when he had been sent to Seagard on business for his now truly late- and unlamented Lord Walder Frey. The other man was obviously Lothar, though he hadn't dealt with him before.

Lords Bracken and Blackwood had left to continue walking the siege lines in case of treachery, but Edmure had barely moved from the same spot he'd first met Stevron.

Now, two of Stevron's men held up Black Walder as Edmure smirked at the bound man. Walder's eyes were filled with scorn and disdain. He gestured them forward as Stevron watched with trepidation.

Edmure now stood eye to eye with Walder, "Nothing to say now, eh?" he mocked.

Muffled words came from Black Walder as he gazed daggers at Edmure.

"Let me help with that," Edmure continued in the same mocking and patronizing tone, a nasty smile on his face, as he reached up and removed the gag.

"I am an anointed knight! I demand a Trial by Combat!" screamed Black Walder angrily when his mouth was finally clear.

Patrek frowned as Edmure's face became unreadable.

"Aye, you are an anointed Knight...and yet you slit my defenseless sister's throat," stated Edmure in a dead tone.

Patrek didn't like the tone at all and winced at the blunt words.

"Trial by Combat? You demand a Trial by Combat?" Edmure asked in the same dead tone.

Black Walder sneered at Edmure and spat at his feet, "It is my right!"

Edmure stared for a moment before seemingly coming to a decision, "Let go of him." he commanded.

The guards obeyed and stepped back, away from Black Walder.

Patrek looked at Edmure in confusion, what are you going to do, Ed?

Black Walder continued to glare, his hands bound behind him and yet he stood defiant in front of Edmure.

Patrek nearly missed it as Edmure suddenly grabbed Black Walder and punched him in the face. Walder's head snapped back as he reeled from the first blow and almost lost his balance but Edmure kept a hold of him and as he kept punching, over and over again.

The blows kept coming and blood was covering Walder's face now but Edmure didn't let up...the opposite seemed to be happening. Edmure seemed to be in a frenzy. The blows kept coming until Walder's legs gave out under him and then both men fell to the ground. Quickly, Edmure straddled Walder and instead of continuing to punch and rain blows down on Walder he began smashing Walder's head down against the ground.

Walder was screaming incoherently now, but Edmure didn't let up. Instead, there was a rock next to them and reached out and grabbed it. Patrek watched in horror as Edmure raised the large rock high in the air above Black Walder. Time seemed to freeze for a moment before the rock descended. The sickening sound of bone cracking echoed. He raised the rock again. The sound of shattering bone echoed again.

Again the rock rose...

Blood and pieces of Black Walder splashed, over and over again, on an unflinching Edmure and those nearest to him as he brought the rock down over and over and over again, pounding relentlessly at Black Walder's face. The screams stopped and became gurgles. The gurgles stopped and became nameless noises. Then the noises died.

And still Edmure continued to hammer at what had once been Black Walder...

Silence, broken only by the rhythmic sound of the hammering of the rock meeting flesh filled Patrek's ears as he stared in mute horror as his good friend savagely beat a man to death and beyond with a fury worthy of a berserker. Edmure's face was filled with glee as he continued to beat the meat that had one been Black Walder.

Finally the rage seemed to subside and, Edmure lurched up, reeling back unsteady on his feet, from the mangled corpse of Black Walder, bloody rock in his hand, he spat at the cooling corpse, "There's your fucking Trial by Combat," he turned towards the kneeling, bound and gagged Lothar Frey, bloody rock still in his hand, "What about you? Do you want a Trial by Combat, as well?" His eyes were wild, begging Lothar to ask for a Trial by Combat to feed his sudden unexpected bloodlust.

Lothar's eyes were filled with such fear, Patrek had never seen the like before- and he couldn't blame him, Lothar was shaking with emotion as a wet spot stared to spread around the crotch of his pants. The guards holding him scowled as the smell of piss reached them.

Edmure sneered at Lothar when he didn't dare even move, "Guards! Take him away! I'm sure Robb will be happy to receive this gift I'm sending to him," he finished with a dark and menacing laugh. He paused and gave Lothar a sinister smile, "Perhaps my dear nephew will use your blood to feed Winterfell's Heart Tree. It's been centuries since its been fed a proper sacrifice..."

Sacrifice? Robb Stark couldn't have reintroduced the ancient First Man custom of sacrifices to Heart Trees...could he have? Though...with all the magic that was being brandished about with this Return ...it was a distinct possibility.

Apparently, Lothar thought it likely as well, because an even more foul smell came from him now, letting Patrek know that he hadn't just pissed his pants now.

The guards grabbed Lothar, faces grimacing again at the worsening smell and dragged him from their presence.

Edmure cast aside the bloody rock and turned back to a pale and gaping Ser Stevron, "Bring bread and salt for Ser Stevron and his companions...we have much to talk about."

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Men had dragged away the meat, that had been Black Walder away, and they'd adjourned to Edmure's tent to speak privately. Bread and salt were brought and eaten by Stevron and his men but Stevron could still barely string together two words in fear of how Edmure would react, and Patrek couldn't blame him. The brutality of the execution was not something he'd thought Edmure capable of ordering...let alone committing with his own two hands.

Edmure hadn't even wiped off the blood and remains of Black Walder as he sat down and invited Stevron to join him for the negotiations. He sat there, his face bloody but speaking firmly and on occasion even politely to Stevron.

Anticipation of what horrific thing Edmure would do next gnawed at Patrek's guts as the talks with Stevron began in earnest. Edmure recognized Stevron as the new Lord of the Twins with the death of Lord Walder, but Patrek's horror didn't abate, it only grew with Edmure's following words, as he detailed the bloody price that he would be extracting from Stevron and House Frey for the Red Wedding and their betrayal in the undone future.

There would be a set level for tolls taken on travelers using the bridge, a much lower toll, a pittance in fact, compared to what Lord Walder's greed used to extort from people before.

More importantly, Lord Stevron would hand over each and every Frey that took part in the Red Wedding, irrespective of whether they remembered or not. Edmure left nothing to the imagination of what their fate would be...

And to violate any of the terms would see House Frey removed from the Riverlands.

Completely and irrevocably.

"But....but...." Ser Stevron stumbled over his words, he stopped being pale a while ago and had been truly white for a while now, "You will kill so many?"

The bloody faced Edmure stared back, his glare filled with unmatchable fury, "Most or all. Choose. Now."

Ser Stevron flinched back from the stare and the horrific words. He sat there staring down into his hands, knowing that his house's survival was very much in his hands.

"Most." Stevron said in quiet pained voice. It was an unenviable choice that wasn't a choice.

"Good....of those left," Edmure stressed the word maliciously, "we will also be taking hostages. And they will be spread to all the houses of the Riverlands."

Stevron nodded in utter defeat, probably thinking at least hostages wouldn't be killed outright. Patrek pitied him, the old man had always been a better man than his father and yet here he was paying for the sins of his despicable father.

Edmure and Stevron began speaking of the specifics of which hostages would go were. It was all very clear and quick, at least until Stevron mentioned Fat Walda.

"Not her. If she comes, she comes as a guest and not a hostage..." Edmure paused and pursed his lips, "Does she remember?"

Stevron wasn't the only one who was suddenly blinking in surprise at his friend's words, Fat Walda? Why her? Patrek thought as he remembered the obese and odious girl he'd seen the few times he'd been forced to come to the Twins.

"She...has not spoken much. She's been withdrawn..." Stevron admitted, rubbing his head in confusion, "Very quiet and frightened now that I think of it."

Edmure actually winced painfully at this, "Gods, then she remembers. I am sorry to hear that."

Patrek and Stevron shared a confused glance before Patrek asked, "Why are you sorry to hear that?"

"She's the only one of you that truly deserves mercy after what that beast, Ramsay Bolton, did to her," Edmure shook his head mournfully.

Patrek was afraid to ask what happened but he felt he had to, Stevron looked too stunned to ask.

"What...what did Ramsay do to her?" his voice quivered as he asked, wondering just how horrible it had to have been for Edmure to actually feel pity for a Frey after all that had happened.

Edmure grimaced, "She was married to Roose Bolton and gave him a son. Ramsay murdered his father and then fed her and his half brother...alive...to his dogs."

The answer didn't disappoint. Patrek stared in shock, feeling more than a little queasy at the words. Stevron was in much the same condition, gaping and turning green.

Edmure returned to speaking of hostages as Stevron could only listen and nod still numb from that last shock.

"Finally..." Edmure paused giving Stevron a sharp look, "you will also bring me Roslin. This time we shall be married in Riverrun," he spat angrily.

Stevron started and stared unblinking in utter surprise...but he didn't dare disagree, he just nodded quickly, suddenly enthusiastic, "Of course, of course." he manged to utter.

Patrek blinked at the sudden reversal. The shock of the fate of Fat Walda hadn't subsided and yet more upheavals were coming. He stared at his friend not believing the words at first.

Marriage? Ed, you want to get married? And to a Frey after all the hate and horror you've piled on them? And to Roslin Frey? Which one's Roslin? Patrek wracked his mind trying to put a face to the name but his mind only drew a blank.

It all seemed madness at first...but it also almost seemed like a truly masterful stroke, punishing them with one hand, even making the punishment seem like a mercy while with the other hand, binding them to House Tully in the most binding manner possible.

Patrek stared at Edmure, the blood making him look like some kind of barbarian lord and so different from the old, cheerful and chivalrous ma n that he'd grown up with.

Who are you? How did you become like this, Ed? More importantly is any part of my old friend left?

Notes:

Author's Notes: I realise that a lot of folks will not like Ed's marriage choice, but his reasoning will be explained later...and there is an actual reason.